OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Massey & Gail LLP, Susman Godfrey LLP and The Pastorum Group announced
today that on behalf of Joel and Mary Rich, the grieving parents of a
murdered child, they have brought a suit against Fox News, reporter
Malia Zimmerman and contributor Ed Butowsky, seeking justice for the
Riches for having become collateral damage in a political war to which
they are innocent bystanders.

The suit, filed in federal court, alleges that Fox News, Zimmerman, and
Butowsky, individually and together, intentionally exploited the tragic
murder of the Riches’ son, Seth, through lies, misrepresentations, and
half-truths. With disregard for the truth and for the obvious harm that
their actions would cause the Riches, Fox, Zimmerman and Butowsky
propagated and developed a fictitious story that their deceased son,
Seth – not Russian hackers or anyone else – provided Democratic National
Committee emails to WikiLeaks.

The lawsuit claims that the Defendants’ actions and statements,
including those that resulted in a May 16, 2017, Fox News article
written by Fox’s Zimmerman entitled, “Slain DNC Staffer Had Contact with
WikiLeaks Say Multiple Sources.” The lawsuit alleges Fox’s continued
propagation of the baseless assertion that Seth provided the DNC emails
to WikiLeaks even after Fox retracted Zimmerman’s article a week after
its publication.

“No parent should ever have to live through what we have been forced to
endure. The pain and anguish that comes from seeing your murdered son’s
life and legacy treated as a mere political football is beyond
comprehension,” Joel and Mary said in a joint statement.

Lead trial lawyer, Leonard
A. Gail of Massey & Gail LLP, similarly noted: “Joel and Mary Rich
have brought this case to hold Fox News, Fox reporter Zimmerman, and
political operative and Fox News contributor Butowsky, accountable for
their reprehensible actions. Whether motivated by party politics,
ratings, corporate profit, or personal gain, we hope to help prevent
this kind of malicious and reckless behavior in the future so that
others can be spared the hell the Riches have had to endure.”

The case is JOEL RICH and MARY RICH, Plaintiffs, v. FOX NEWS NETWORK,
LLC, MALIA ZIMMERMAN in her individual and professional capacities, and
ED BUTOWSKY, in his individual and professional capacities; Case no.
18-cv-2223, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern
District of New York.